Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

A kina pectoral

Papua New Guinea

gold lipped pearl shell with a fibre neckmount with applied cowrie shells and cut nassa shells,

19cm wide,

and three kina pectorals, two with fibre, 17.5cm and 17.6cm wide. (4)

Provenance

Mary-Clare Adam, anthropologist, Honorary Consul of Solomon Islands in Israel.

Collected between 1974 and 1978.

The kina is the most valuable form of traditional currency, cut from a gold-lipped pearl shell in the semi circular form. In the Sepik area the back of the kina is worn in front, whereas in the Highlands the gold colour faces the front. When Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975, the name 'kina' was chosen in place of the Australian dollar, and the name 'toea' (traditional bride price from the Papuan area) was chosen in place of the Australian cents.